Bill Gates is a household name. The world’s richest man, creator of Microsoft, and philanthropist are all titles that belong to Gates, but his rise to inventor and businessman extraordinaire was slow and steady…until it wasn’t.
Gates became interested in programming in 8th grade, when he was only 14 years old. After getting into trouble with his friends, which included his Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, for manipulating bugs in the school software to get more computer time, administrators caught wind of Gates’ unconventional show of talent, which is when they asked him to schedule students in their classes. [Bill admits he scheduled himself into classes with a disproportionate amount of girls.]
But no matter what was going on academically or socially in his life, computers, software, and coding were always the constants. He had an almost perfect score on the SAT, allowing for an easy acceptance  into Harvard. After just two years, however, he knew his heart wasn’t in his collegiate studies. He left to start his own business and the rest is history.
[via Time]
[via The Guardian]
It’s really is incredible to be able to see the paths that different moguls and icons take throughout their careers. The common thread is usually that these people are fearless, bold, take risks, and are willing to go down atypical paths that have no precedent. It takes a lot of courage to have faith in an idea, a skill or a talent, and just run with it.
[via Technologizer]
Bill perfectly encompasses what it takes to be a charismatic and forward-thinking leader, and unlike many wealthy people, he hasn’t forgotten to give back. Over the years at Microsoft, he’s gradually moved down in terms of his executive power, from CEO to chief software architect. And in 2006 he moved from working full-time to part-time so he could dedicate his full-time work and energy towards the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Bill and Melinda during their first trip to Africa in 1993 [via Gates Notes]
Visiting Mozambique in 2003 [via Gates Notes]
Established in 2000, the foundation has provided billions of dollars to charities and towards scientific research. In 1994, Bill even sold some of his Microsoft stock to establish the early stages of the foundation. John D. Rockefeller, David Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie were Gates’ inspirations for his philanthropy and he rigorously studied their work in oder to emulate their legacies.
Most recently, the foundation made an announcement concerning a $50 MILLION donation which will be devoted to aiding with the Ebola crisis. The money will help the United Nations contain and treat the virus as well as carry out emergency procedures and purchase medical supplies. The foundation has set precedence for the largest amount ever donated toward a humanitarian cause.
With business tycoon Warren Buffett, Gates also created the “Gates-Buffett Giving Pledge”, where the men, with the recent addition of Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, have pledged to donate at least half of their wealth in future years to charity. That’s a pretty selfless commitment.
Bill’s done so much for the world with his contributions to technology, business, and humanitarianism in donations and aid to educational institutions and developing countries that he deserves a spot in history. We’ve narrowed down 15 of the most inspiring words that Mr. Gates has said over the years about giving, success, and motivation. Take notes people!
[via Business Insider]
1.”I’ve been very lucky, and therefore I owe it to try and reduce the inequity in the world.”
2.”It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”
3.”Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.”
4.”Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.”
[via Post Defiance]
5.”If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good.”
Bill’s infamous mugshot [via Booms Beats]
6.”We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.”
The legendary duo, Bill and the late Steve Jobs [via Business Insider]
[via Business Insider]
7.”Everyone needs a coach. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast or a bridge player.”
Bill with his mentor, PC creator, the late Dr. Ed Roberts [via Segugio Informatico]
[via Segugio Informatico]
8.”You may have heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There’s another day you might want to know about: Giving Tuesday. The idea is pretty straightforward. On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, shoppers take a break from their gift-buying and donate what they can to charity.”
9.”Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.”
10.”Don’t compare yourself with anyone in this world…if you do so, you are insulting yourself.”
[via Academy of Achievement]
11.”Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”
12.”Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off, and very few employers are interested in helping you. Find yourself.”
13.”Patience is a key element of success.”
14.”Until we’re educating every kid in a fantastic way, until ever inner city is cleaned up, there is no shortage of things to do.”
15.”If you show people problems and you show people the solutions, they will be moved to act.”
[via Life of Excellence]
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